One clear example occurs when Ahab declares a personal war against the white whale. In this moment, Ahab refuses to see the whale as just an animal or a part of nature’s vast indifference. Instead, he loads it with profound personal meaning, defining his entire existence around defeating what he sees as his personal nemesis. His epic declaration, such as when he vows to “stab at thee” from “hell’s heart,” shows his conscious choice to impose his own meaning on a chaotic, indifferent universe. This act of defiance encapsulates the existential idea that individuals create significance in an otherwise absurd world, though often at great personal cost.